If you are starved to see Salman in his element; craving to swoon over Shahrukh and his infectious persona (and a six-pack); longing to see Kajol’s seductive smile and yearning to stare at Hrithik as he woos you; you don’t have to wait for their next movie to hit the big screen.
Waiting around for the next Bollywood blockbuster with your favourite star is slowly coming to an end. Switch on your television at Prime time on the weekends and you’ll find your beloved stars scorching the airwaves with their titillating personalities and their attention-grabbing quirks and catch-phrases. Reality TV is delivering their next big pay check. Whether it be Amitabh’s catch phrase “Lock Kiya Jai?” on the infamous television game show Kaun Banega Crorepati, Shahrukh and his assortment of waistcoats in Kya Aap Panchvi Paas se Tez Hain, or Karan Johar’s feisty rapid fire round in Koffee with Karan, audiences are flocking to their television sets to watch people just like themselves rub shoulders with these Bollywood heart-throbs.
The controversial commentary and disagreements between judges and participants is appealing to the masses who love to watch their favourite composed stars lose their cool. Veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan got the ball rolling in 2000 when he stepped up to host the Indian adaptation of hit ITV television show Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Next, Indian Idol, the phenomenally popular singing talent show was the new reality show to hit the small screen with big-time names like Javed Akhtar, Anu Malik, Sonu Nigam, Alisha Chinoy and Kumar Sanu serving as experts in deciding over which performers are talented and which are not.
Director Karan Johar joined the TV crew by launching his own mischievous talk show Koffee with Karan in 2004. Urmila Matondkar sizzled on the sets of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, a show formatted to the British series Strictly Come Dancing, more popularly known for its American format Dancing with the Stars. Joining her in criticizing the celebrities and their lack of synchronization was Jeetendra, Bollywood’s poster-boy of the 70’s.
Currently Kajol, husband Ajay and mother Tanuja can all be seen on Rock-n-Roll Family, criticizing families on their hand-eye coordination, and whether they do indeed have two left feet. Another children’s talent show Chak de Bachche is being judged by 90’s popular Mast Mast girl Raveena Tandon.
Total Rating Points (TRP), which is the percentage of the total population reached by an advertising campaign, has been exponentially high when reviewing shows where Bollywood baadshahs and bombshells are hosting or judging. The popularity of these star-studded shows is considered to be a marketer’s dream, which subsequently results in a hefty compensation package for the Bollywood star, as well a chance to remain in the public eye, whether they have movies in the pipeline or not.
Another appealing factor to these starlets is the time commitment these shows demand. Unlike movies which take months to film, reality shows only air for an average of fifteen-weeks and are recorded in short time frames. Recognizing this growing trend, other Bollywood stars are flocking to the small screen to earn some big bucks through a fifteen to twenty week stint.
Salman Khan will hit the tube with the game show Dus Ka Dum, earning four times as much as he would by acting in a movie. Urmila will exhibit her hosting panache on Waar Parivaar, a musical talent show. Akshay Kumar will be hosting the new Fear Factor - Khatro Ka Khiladi. Hrithik also joined the parade to be on television and will be a goodwill ambassador for Junoon…Kuchh Kar Dikhaane Ka, another musical talent show.
Broadcasters and marketers believe that celebrity hosts bring in a certain degree of novelty to the show but it does not ascertain whether the show will remain popular through its course. Tarun Mehta, business head from Zee TV stated in an interview that “A Bollywood actor always generates initial viewer ratings. However, in the long run, the content and the format will help sustain the show.” Executives also realize there needs to be an affinity between the celebrity and the show at hand. For instance Govinda would not be a suitable match for a show like Fear Factor; however Akshay Kumar who is synonymous with action is undoubtedly a better representative of the programs format. TV executives also realize these stars do not come cheap. However the costs are superseded by the viewer ratings and the value the celebrity brings to the shows platform.
At the end of it, it is all about viewers. And as can be seen, these stars have no inhibitions in taking a dive in the tube because the compensation overrides the stars’ diminution from the big screen to the small screen.
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